Animation giant Disney is planning to launch the live action version of their original, "Mulan" on 2nd of November next year. The heroine will do her thing in fighting against the Han and all her adventures are going to be showcased in 3D. However, there is a fundamental problem that should be addressed by the company: who will play the part?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the company is in global search for a Chinese actress fit to the character of Mulan.
Even if it is imperative for movie companies to hire a Chinese actor to play a Chinese character, whitewashing has been very apparent in the Hollywood canon. Whitewashing or the act of hiring a white actor for a nonwhite character is very much common in Hollywood films and this particular commitment made by Disney is a great relief to all the fans out there.
Marvel, one of the companies owned by the Mouse, have been receiving criticism on "Doctor Strange" by by showcasing Tida Swinton as The Ancient One. Regardless if somehow, this news sheds positive light, it caused a bit of a shudder from all the fans against films such as "Aloha" and the upcoming "Ghost in the Shell" wherein white characters are being thrown to act rather than the original race.
It can be remembered that during the earlier months of this year that fans took on to social media to forward their cry for Disney to cast an Asian Mulan.
Lea Salonga and Ming-Na Wen are two of the voice actresses of the 1998 animated musical version, which according to The Wrap, will not be the sole material which the new film is going to be based on. Jurassic World's Rick Jaffa is tasked to write the new script for the film in association with Amanda Silver and reportedly, both of them will draw from materials that exist earlier than the musical such as poems and legends.
Sony as well is planning to develop a Mulan movie but for sure Disney isn't going to support it, just like what it did with Warner Bros' Jungle Book.
